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Static Charge and Hair
Figure 5 shows a student touching the metal dome of the static electricity generator.
The dome is negatively charged.
Explain why the student’s hair stands up on end.
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Marking points
- 1 States that electrons transfer from the negatively charged dome to the student.
- 2 States that the hairs acquire the same negative charge.
- 3 Explains that like charges repel, causing the hairs to spread out.
Full-mark answer
Electrons transfer from the negatively charged dome to the student. The individual hairs therefore all become negatively charged. Because like charges repel, the hairs repel one another and stand up on end.
Why this answer loses marks
The dome attracts the hairs upwards.
The hairs receive the same charge and repel one another; explain the electron transfer before linking like-charge repulsion to their separation.